The Attributes of the Harvest Laborer

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road” (Luke 10: 1-4).

Faithful to His recurring pattern, Jesus confronted the crowd of followers with a fresh call to go deeper in their walk with Him. He called seventy-two others to step away from the crowd and to go ahead of Him out into the countryside as laborers to harvest souls for the Kingdom. He had done this recently, sending His twelve closest disciples out to preach and heal, and upon their return He called them apostles: (Greek – apostolos: ambassador, messenger, he that is sent)… “And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles” (Luke 6:13). There is much theological debate about whether the office of Apostle still exists, but for sure, the ministry of the apostle is still very much needed, as much of the world still needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus did not call the seventy-two apostles. Instead He identified them as harvest laborers. Today the Holy Spirit prompts us to hear Jesus call to go on ahead of Him to share His gospel in our needy world. Our success will be enhanced as we discover and develop the attributes of the harvest laborer.

Harvest laborers are sent as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. The Spirit intentionally inspired Luke to write that these new messengers were to go into every town and place “where he himself was about to go”. How encouraging to know that when we follow the Spirit’s leading He will direct us just a few steps ahead of Jesus Christ as He pursues the hearts of the lost… “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Diligent disciples will be infected with Christ’s extreme burden and love for lost sinners and we will eagerly look for opportunities to build healthy relationships with them. We will be increasingly willing to go where Jesus would go and touch those whom Jesus would touch if He walked in our shoes, which of course He does… “To them (His saints) God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you” (Colossians 1:27). If you’ve been spending time with Christ, maybe the places you are going today; home, neighborhood, or workplace, are His places of harvest for you. Maybe He is calling you to labor in some new harvest somewhere. If you are willing, Jesus might send you as His ambassador into the life of someone He is soon to draw into the kingdom, just so you can share in the harvest with Him!

Harvest laborers are sent as answers to prayer. Jesus wanted these new ambassadors to know they were being sent in answer to prayer. With this admonition, He exhorted all disciples to pray for the lost. When we obey this command we are imitating Christ who also prayed for the lost… “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (John 17:20). How exciting to live as a harvest laborer and believe that wherever we go and whomever we meet, we might just be the answer to a prayer that originated in the heart of Jesus Christ Himself, and that is being echoed by unknown fellow disciples nearby!

Harvest laborers are sent as archetypes of Christ. This is probably the toughest attribute of one who is sent to grasp and achieve. Jesus chose His words very carefully as He challenged would be apostles to be as lambs in the midst of wolves. He was calling harvest laborers to be a reflection of Himself to the world. He was “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Here, He exhorts His messengers to live a life that illustrates the sacrificial life He lived, without dependence on or distraction by the material world around us. As we mature as disciples and grow less attached to the world, we become more available to be sent as archetypes of Christ to a desperate and needy world.

As we grow up into Christ we enjoy the blessings of sharing His gospel as we seek and develop…

The Attributes of the Harvest Laborer.